MegaPath entices SMBs, enterprises to the cloud with new storage, data backup service

MegaPath is tapping into the potentially lucrative cloud services market with its latest Hosted Data Backup and Storage offering for SMBs and enterprises.

Coming on the heels of the debut of its recent Hosted Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Exchange and Hosted Microsoft SharePoint offering, the Hosted Data Backup and Storage services enable businesses to remotely backup data on their respective services and PCs, and restore their data following a loss.

While many SMBs and enterprises still have concerns about cloud security and cost, the new service offers customers two benefits: an online installation wizard to schedule backups, and the potential to reduce costs because it does not require customers to purchase hardware or tapes to maintain.

In order to deliver what it calls an "affordable and easy-to-implement off-site data storage solution," MegaPath is working with online backup service provider Mozy. By signing up for this service, a customer's data backup service will be remotely stored a various data centers with secure card and biometric authorization, redundant power systems, multiple network providers and cooling measures. Business customers can also leverage in-client, in-Windows, Web-based or DVD data restore options.

Having built out a network that supports T1, DSL and Ethernet over Copper (EoC) access methods, it's likely MegaPath's new hosted cloud service will provide it with another service to upsell these existing customers that are looking to offload non-essential functions like storage to a third-party.